This invention relates generally to articles of clothing and, more particularly, to a warming scarf which forms a series of insulating pockets when secured snugly about a user's neck.
Traditional warming scarves are tied or wrapped around the neck, creating excess tails or a bulky tie section. Many such scarves leave some of the neck exposed to the air and must be continually readjusted, particularly if the wearer moves.
Attempts have been made to provide more efficient scarves. Some, formed as combination neck, face and/or chest warmers are tubes of material that must be pulled over the head. Others are combination face and neck warmers having a face portion which must be pulled down if the wearer only desires to cover the neck. The fabric that would cover the face is as bunched around the neck creating a bulky feel and appearance and acts as a trap for condensation which causes discomfort for the wearer. Examples of such scarves are well represented in both the patented and unpatented prior art.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,032,292 (Wood et al) teaches and describes a triangular convertible scarf having an adjusting cord which can cause the scarf material to bunch up around the neck when the cord is tightened. Insulation is provided by a plurality of individual thermal layers stitched and secured between the inner and outer layers of the bandanna.
U.S. Pat. No. 746,586 (Schoch et al) teaches and describes a combination muffler and chest protector having a collar or mock turtle neck attached to a back and a pair of front straps which criss-cross over the chest and are secured to the back.
U.S. Pat. No. 811,096 (Scott) teaches and describes a neck muffler combining a neck and chest portion with the neck portion secured behind the neck by snaps or the like to prevent wrinkles or creases.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,346,918 (Herbranson) teaches and describes a scarf formed to drape around the neck or shoulders secured by a zipper extending from mid chest up toward the chin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,301,548 (Blake) teaches and describes an ascot-like garment having a neck portion attached to a chest portion with the neck portion fastenable at the rear of the neck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,495,660 (Hayden) teaches and describes a neck garment attachable as a wrap around the neck formed as a single knit layer with a muffler portion which covers the neck and a depending skirt which covers the shoulders and a portion of the chest. The skirt has pleats formed at the lowermost edge to act as a seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,897 (Rosaen) teaches and describes a tail-less neck scarf having a single homogenous layer attachable around the wearer's neck with a hook and loop type fastener to accommodate a range of neck sizes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,718,123 (Petropoulous) teaches and describes a cold climate protective garment formed as a homogenous layer and having an upper portion adapted to cover the mouth and nose and the lower portion adapted to cover a portion of the chest and secured by a pair of straps which use hook and loop type fasteners attachable behind the neck.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,870,707 (Hayes) teaches and describes a multiple purpose scarf formed from two mirror image single layer triangular panels joined at a connecting neck. A number of these panels can be combined to drape the scarf around the neck or shoulders in varying configurations to form different types of garments, some of which form draped, single-layer folds or decorative pleats.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,025,508 (Duncan) teaches and describes a scarf construction formed from triangular layers, some of which are sewn together or attached together offset from one another and one of which is formed from two congruent triangular layers forming a pocket within which an inflatable bladder is placed to retain the geometric integrity of the scarf in its triangular shape.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,211 (Hanks) teaches and describes a bandanna-type article of wearing apparel having a generally triangular central section to which a pair of tying ears extend. The scarf is worn by knotting the ties behind the head. The portion of the scarf intended to cover the mouth can also include an insulating layer such as a polyurethane sponge.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,049 (Clutton) teaches and describes a scarf formed as a hollow symmetrical sleeve tapered at both ends. The tapers form folds or gathers for the purpose of attaching weighted attachment hooks.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,618 (Mustata) teaches and describes a neck and chest scarf formed of symmetrical pieces sewn together and then turned inside out to form a generally T-shape scarf having a portion that can be fit around the mouth and nose of the wearer or which may be folded down to cover only the neck of the wearer and a lower portion which covers the chest area.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,799 (Lane) teaches and describes a scarf having upper and lower horizontally extending sections with a back portion depending from the lower section. Each of the upper and lower sections can be wrapped and secured around the neck. This overlapping one another positioning the back portion to depend along the wearer's back.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,282,722 (Pogachar) teaches and describes a protective leather, or like material, face and neck bandanna with interchangeable, two-ply flannel, or like material liner attached with snap pressure closures. An outer, leather triangular bandanna has a liner and an intervening insulating layer attachable so that the inner layers can be detached and cleaned without damage to the leather.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 368,571 (Worku) teaches and describes an ornamental design for a scarf having what appears to be an asymmetrical one layer unpleated construction.
U.S. Pat. No. Des 398,136 (Samelian) teaches and describes a neck warmer formed as a single rectangular layer with a pocket formed in the front to fit over the nose and mouth of the wearer.